We are in the first row, in the Polaris lay flat seat area. Yes, we chose row one. Some suggest it is better to be further away from the kitchen, but I like being here: it’s quick and easy to get off the plane, and we are close to the toilet. (Except at certain times when they don’t allow us up there — I think it’s when they are serving the pilots or something. What I do miss, though, is a window seat. We’ve talked about maybe giving that a go next time. It means we won’t be next to each other, but we don’t do a lot of talking on a plane anyway.

I had ordered a special meal for this flight because I’d read you often get better food that way. What I didn’t realize when I ordered the “healthy, low salt and low sugar” meal was that I was getting the diabetic meal! And no, it wasn’t special or better. So next time I either go back to the normal menu or I try something different like perhaps the Asian or kosher meal. But, really, United doesn’t do great food. So it goes. These two images show all the food I was served. Doesn’t it look … um … oh never mind. And no, I didn’t eat it all.

After getting my “healthy” meal I was asked what I wanted for dessert. Well … duh … the ice cream sundae! I’m guessing they were wondering about me at that point.

I read for a bit and then put the seat down and slept. Time has no meaning on a plane: there is no day or night. There just … well … is, if you get my drift. You just spend 10+ hours being.

After a bit of a snooze I started reading some more, and eventually some food was brought out. Because of my (foolish) food choice I was given some sort of wrap full of eggplant and I don’t know what else … I took one bit and Dan offered to switch so I got his grilled cheese sandwich and chips and he ate my eggplant whatever. He said it was pretty good.

Then back to reading mixed with resting mixed with doing nothing.

At about 2:00 PM PST the lights were turned on in the plane. Shortly after we were handed our warmed towels and a flight attendant passed by saying “Morning!”

Hmm. In London it would be late at night. In California it’s mid-afternoon. I’m not sure what “Morning!” would be about.

Soon my next “special meal” was delivered, along with sparkling water. Too. Much. Food. They called it lunch, but it was more than I would normally eat for dinner at home. It wasn’t exactly an epicurean’s delight, but it sufficed.

When we landed it was a bit of a bumpy bit and my water bottle fell and rolled over to where the flight attendant was sitting. Made me laugh. After landing it took a while to get to the gate because another plane was still in that space. Then the person (or persons?) who were driving that thing (Dan told me the name but I’ve forgotten) that connects to the plane that we walk through to get into the terminal was having difficulty aiming things correctly so we had a bit more waiting. But finally, out we went! And out went my brain. I forgot to take any more photos at all.

My sister picked us up (thanks, Carolyn!) and we then had the wonderful joy of being welcomed back to the Bay Area with a lot of traffic. But so it goes. We got safely home, opened all the windows because the house was quite stuffy, and started to unpack, make up the bed, and do all the things one has to do.

And yes, I’m fully unpacked and the suitcase is put away. But I still have much to do: the house is quite dusty, and we have piles of mail. (Oh Jan and Greg, you should see your stack of mail!)

But now? It’s 8:10 PM our time and while I feel a bit dazed I don’t feel tired. We’ll see how I sleep.

So that’s that. We had a great trip. We are home. I am grateful.